Janie BoschmaOn Oct. 16, a new presidential candidate entered the race. The political comedian Stephen Colbert threw his hat into the ring and is now running for president of the United States.
I’m sure the majority of the college community will be supporting him wholeheartedly, and I know that I’ll be rooting for him to take the Oval Office by storm, but is this the right choice? Does Stephen Colbert have what it takes to become President Colbert?
He chose to announce his candidacy for the top job on his show, instead of on “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart. During his guest appearance on Stewart’s show, he claimed that he was a “presidential considerer” and that he would save his announcement for a more prestigious show. That show happened to be fifteen minutes later on his own show, “The Colbert Report,” where he officially announced he was running. What spurred him into running for president is a mystery to me, but he’s done it.
Colbert is also planning to run as both a Democrat and a Republican, which is a feat in its own.
Already, Colbert’s candidacy is a widespread, positive phenomenon. On Facebook, I have already received invitations to join Colbert support groups, including ‘Colbert for President,’ ‘One Million STRONG for Stephen Colbert 08,’ and ‘IT’S OFFICIAL! COLBERT 08.’ Tens of thousands are already joining in support of the potential president, and that’s only on Facebook.
I believe that even though Colbert is a favorite among the younger crowds, he might not be the right person for the job. I want to see what he stands for, not just his crowd support.
Personally, I believe that it should have been Stewart to join the race for president. Even though he is older and less popular than Colbert, he knows his politics the best. Stewart would have also gained about the same amount of popularity if it were him instead of Colbert.
I’m still not sure why Colbert is running, but if it’s for popularity, he doesn’t have my vote. I want a candidate who knows what the stakes are and will follow through with his promises, unlike so many before. I do know, however, that if Colbert were to become president he would listen to the people more. He listens to the general public and talks about issues that hit home. He also finds time within his half-hour block of a show to be extremely sarcastic and almost never serious about the issues at hand. He has been known to enter interviews wearing absurd costumes and asking the most non-politically related questions. If this is what the people want for president, count me out.
What scares me the most is not the lack of political knowledge or expertise, but the possibility that this campaign could turn ugly. A comedian running for the presidency makes images of “Man of the Year” flash through my head. Robin Williams was funny in that movie, but they made too much of it, and in the end he resigned his presidency because it was falsified. I’m not saying that this would happen; I’m thinking far from it. The other images that go hand-in-hand with the Colbert Campaign include constant negative feedback and slander from the other candidates and people not taking him seriously. He needs to get out to the people and show them that he means business, and that it is not just another TV show. If he is going to get my vote, he needs to leave the comedy on the set and step out into reality with what he stands for. Maybe then I’ll consider placing a check by his name.
Pluedeman is a freshman education major and guest columnist for The Spectator.
